Safety device for locking doors and the like



R. LUCAS Dec. 28, 1965Y SAFETY DEVICE FOR LOCKING DOORS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1962 .lllllllllllflxllllllll Illl I I I I I I l l l L Fi'csfl R m m V m R. I UcAs 3,225,575

SAFETY DEVICE FOR LOCKING DOORS AND THE LIKE Dec. 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTOR.

J/Cd/J/ BY @vw United States Patent Oce 3,225,575 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 3,225,575 SAFETY DEVICE EUR LGCKING DOORS AND THE LIKE Roger Lucas, 106 Cours Albert Thomas, Lyon, France Filed June 4, 1962, Ser. No. 199,688 Claims priority, application France, Ilan. 12, 1962, 42,194, Patent 1,318,783; Feb. 9, 1962, 42,281, Patent 81,123 3 Claims. (Cl. 70-134) The present invention relates to a door lock and more particularly to a lock of this character comprising an elongated laterally movable locking plate and a slotted receiving member for the locking plate, th'e lengths of the plate and the slot being substantially coextensive with each other and with the edge of the door and its associated jamb.

The locking device of the invention comprises a laterally slidable flat plate which is housed inside the door jamb and which enters aV groove formed on the longitudinal edge of the door when the door is closed and locked. The flat locking plate, which is originally included in or later added to the door jamb, slides preferably on rollers or balls, and causes the door to be locked through its entire length.

In a modiiied embodiment, displacement of the locking plate is obtained by means of a plurality of bell crank levers controlled by common actuating means which may advantageously include key-operated or equivalent locking mechanism.

The locking device, and its advantages, will be more clearly understood from the following description with reference to the appended drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view, on a reduced scale, of a door provided with the locking device of the invention, the view being partly broken away to illustrate details of construction.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the door-frame including the movable locking plate adapted to lock the door.

FIGURE 3 is a detail plan sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing the locking device in crosssection along the line A-A of FIG. l.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view showing the locking plate provided with bell crank levers and connecting rods for laterally displacing the locking plate.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show one of the bell crank levers and a portion of the locking plate of FIG. 4 in open position and closed position, respectively.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view illustrating anti-friction bearing means for supporting at least a portion of the weight of the locking plate during its lateral movement.

Referring to the drawing, the door l-ocking device illustrated includes an elongated locking plate 1 housed in a recess 6 between a wooden door jamb member 5 and a metal guard plate 2. Inner and outer lock cylinders 3 and 3a are provided which are mounted in the jamb 5 and guard plate 2, respectively. The lock cylinders 3 and 3a are connected through conventional bolt-actuating mechanism (not shown) 3b to slide the plate 1 into or out of the groove 11 upon inserting a key in either cylinder and turning it through one complete revolution. The inner cylinder 3 may, of course, be replaced by a bolt-actuating knob.

The lateral sliding motion of the plate 1, which is controlled by a key inserted in cylinder 3 or 3a is facilitated by placing rollers or balls 7 rolling on a fixed support '7a (FIG. 7) at the lower end of the locking plate 1 to support at least part of its weight. Such bearings ensure a smooth and accurate guiding of the locking plate 1 when the latter is displaced laterally.

As regards the door 4, its longitudinal free edge 9 opposite the hinges is provided with a metallic receiving member or molding 10 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which is secured thereto by any suitable means. The receiving member 1li has a groove 11 formed therein which extends throughout its entire length and the receiving member 10 extends throughout the entire length of the free edge 9 of the door 4.

It will be readily understood that the locking of the door 4, when the latter is closed, is effected by the sliding locking plate 1 so that it ts into the groove 11 of the receiving member 10 of the door. This operation is carried out by means of a key inserted in the lock cylinder 3a or 3 provided on the guard strip 2 or jamb member 5, respectively.

It will be seen that such locking of the door is very etlicient since it operates throughout the entire height of said door. Because of the locking device, the closing of the door is made very safe since the locking plate 1 resists any attempt to force the door.

Obviously, the mounting of the locking device described hereinabove may be reversed, namely by mounting the movable locking plate 1 and guard plate 2 on the door 4 and providing the door jamb 5 with a grooved receiving member such as 10.

Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 4-6, when the locking plate 12 is long and heavy, in order better to overcome its inertia, it is coupled to the lock mechanism through bell -crank levers 14 which are interconnected by link rods 15. A lock cylinder 13 associated with conventional bolt-actuating mechanism 13a causes link rods 15 to be simultaneously urged outwardly or inwardly by rotation of a key (not shown) in cylinder 13 through a complete revolution in one direction or the other.

The bell crank levers 14 are pivoted on pins 16 secured to the metal case (not shown) which is litted in the door jamb and houses the locking plate.

A cam member or roller 18 is revolubly mounted at the free end of one of the arms of each lever 14 and tits into a vertically elongated slot 19 formed in the locking plate 12.

It will be readily understood that, through the action of the lock 13, the vertical motion of the link rods 15 causes the simultaneous pivoting of the bell crank levers 14 and hence the horizontal lateral displacement of the locking plate 12 as indicated by the arrows 20.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modilications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination: a door member having a vertically extending rectilinear free edge portion; hinge means supporting said door member for pivotal movement between open and closed positions about a vertical axis spaced from and parallel to said edge portion; a door frame member including a rectilinear supporting portion which extends vertically throughout the entire length of said edge portion; a rectilinearly vertically elongated receiving member carried by one of said two tiret-named portions, said receiving member having an outwardly opening slot formed therein which extends continuously between the ends of said receiving member, the opening of said slot confronting the other one of said two portions coextensively with said other portion with the door in its closed position; a vertically elongated locking plate; mounting means supporting said locking plate on said other one of said two portions for lateral movement, said locking plate having a continuous edge portion which is substantially coextensive with said receiving member and which is receivable in and withdrawable from said slot with said door in its closed position; actuating means carried by said other portion and connected to said locking plate for causing said continuous edge portion selectively to enter into or be withdrawn from said slot with said door in its closed position; and anti-friction bearing means engage `ing the lower end of said locking plate to support at least a portion of the weight thereof for facilitating the lateral movement of said locking plate by said actuating means.

2. In combination: a door member having a vertically extending rectilinear free edge portion; hinge means supporting said door member for pivotal movement between open and closed positions about a vertical axis spaced from said edge portion; a door frame member including a vertically extending rectilinear supporting portion which extends substantially coextensively with said edge portion when said door is in its closed position; a rectilinearly elongated receiving member carried by yone of said two rst-named portions, said receiving member having an youtwardly opening receiving slot formed therein which extends continuously between the ends of said receiving member, the opening yof said slot confronting the other one of said two lportions coextensiv'ely with said other portion with the door in its closed position; a vertically elongated locking plate having a plurality of aligned longitudinally elongated slots formed therein, said plate being substantially coextensive with said receiving slot, a continuous edge portion of said plate being receivable in said receiving slot with said door in its closed position; a bell crank lever associated with each of said aligned slots, `said plate and said bell crank levers being carried by the other of said two rst-named portions; cam means carried by one arm of each bell crank lever and extending slidably into its associated one of said aligned slots; means mounting said plate for lateral movement; and common actuating means connected to the other arms of all of said bell crank levers for selectively causing lateral movement of said plate inwardly and outwardly of said receiving slot when said door is in said closed position to lock and unlock said door.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said means mounting said plate for lateral movement comprises anti-friction bearing means in weight supporting engagement with the lower end of said plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 16,874 3/1857 Foster et al. 20-68 98,494 1/1870 Hintz 292-36 X 664,315 12/1900 Craig 70-464 1,557,967 10/ 1925 Blount 70-464 X 1,683,355 9/1928 Hopkins 20--68 2,434,042 1/ 1948 Hunter 20-64 2,823,941 2/1958 Ellis 292-137 FOREIGN PATENTS 72,695 6/1951 Denmark. 676,469 6/ 1939 Germany.

29,067 12/ 1897 Great Britain. 318,143 2/ 1957 Switzerland.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A DOOR MEMBER HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING RECTILINEAR FREE EDGE PORTION; HINGE MEANS SUPPORTION SAID DOOR MEMBER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS SPACED ROM AND PARALLEL TO SID EDGE PORTION; A DOOR FRAME MEMBER INCLUDING A RECTILINEAR SUPPORTING PORTION WHICH EXTENDS VERTICALLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID EDGE PORTION; A RECTILINEAR SUPPORTING PORTION WHICH BER CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID TWO FIRST-NAMED PORTIONS, SAID RECEIVING MEMBER HAVING AN OUTWARDLY OPENING SLOT FORMED THEREIN WHICH EXTENDS CONTINUOUSLY BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID RECEIVING MEMBER, THE OPENING OF SAID SLOT CONFRONTING THE OTHER ONE OF SID TWO PORTIONS COEXTENSIVELY WITH SAID OTHER PORTION WITH THE DOOR IN ITS CLOSED POSITION; A VERTICALLY ELONGATED LOCKING PLATE; MOUNTING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID LOCKING PLATE ON SAID OTHER ONE OF SAID TWO PORTIONS FOR LATERAL MOVEMENT, SAID LOCKING PLATE HAVING A CONTINUOUS EDGE PORTION WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID RECEIVING MEMBER AND WHICH IS RECEIVABLE IN AND WITHDRAWABLE FROM SAID SLOT WITH SAID DOOR IN ITS CLOSED POSITION; ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID OTHER PORTION AND CONNECTED TO SAID LOCKING PLATE FOR CAUSING SAID CONTINUOUS EDGE PORTION SELECTIVELY TO ENTER INTO OR BE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID SLOT WITH SAID DOOR IN ITS CLOSED POSITION; AND ANTI-FRICTION BEARING MEANS ENGAGING THE LOWER END OF SAID LOCKING PLATE TO SUPPORT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE WEIGHT THEREOF FOR FACILITATING THE LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCKING PLATE BY SAID ACTUATING MEANS. 